EDITORIAL: Motiva Expansion a Golden Opportunity
by The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas
September 25, 2007
A headline on the front page of our Saturday paper read, "Motiva confirms major expansion." A headline on the front page of our Business section the next day read, "Area sees need for building skills." The link between those two stories is real.
Motiva Enterprises in Port Arthur plans to spend $6 billion to $8 billion over the next three years to transform the facility into the largest refinery in the country. To do that, a small army of 6,000 to 7,000 construction workers must be hired.
Other petrochemical plants and the three huge LNG terminals are also facing major expansion projects. That's why the Lamar Institute of Technology and the Associated General Contractors are joining forces to get more workers trained in construction trades.
Southeast Texans should get as many of these jobs as possible. If they don't have the experience, they should get the training. The jobs are coming. People looking for a paycheck or a better career should take advantage of this golden opportunity.
Copyright (c) 2007, The Beaumont Enterprise, Texas. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
